In Control
by KIMIKO-K
Summary: A 30 day short story of Itachi's University life. Leaving home to seek an independent life, Itachi thought that he had it all under control when he got busted out of his apartment, fell victim to marriage rumours, and faced an unexpected rival in his first love? Will he learn to finally let go of some control and open up his heart to others?
1. Roommate

**#1 – Roommate**

"I'm sorry Itachi-kun. You're a good boy and I really don't want to do this, but this is the house rule. I'm sure you understand right?" Without waiting for his response, the landlord plucked the keys from his hand, offered one last apologetic smile and left. As the condominium gate clicked shut, Uchiha Itachi released a small sigh, feeling slightly ticked at himself for allowing this to happen. Of his list of priorities, paying his rent on time happened to be on top.

He reached for his phone and began scrolling through his impossibly long list of contacts, which excluding the preinstalled emergency hotlines, were 'Uchiha,' 'Shisui's Home,' 'Shisui's Apartment,' 'Shisui's Workplace,' and 'Sasuke.' Returning to his parent's home was not an option, and if Uchiha Shisui were to find out he was kicked out of his apartment, he would positively die laughing his ass off and use this knowledge to have his way around him. No way was he giving him that satisfaction. Shaking his head, he clicked on Sasuke's name and waited.

"Nhmm?"

"Where's the money?"

"What money?" Uchiha Sasuke answered groggily into his ear, his voice tinged with sleep. It was after all, seven in the weekend morning, where the only people awake were those going for a jog with their dogs, and the landlord; apparently there were rumours that the spinster killed her dog and was afraid it would come back to haunt her in her dreams, so she slept just enough to get by.

"The money for my rent." There was silence on the other end. "The envelop that I passed to you three days ago, when you came over?" He reminded with forced patience.

"Ah, that." There was a rustling sound, and he can imagine Sasuke getting up and ruffling through his spiky bed hair. "Sorry, Itachi, I think I lost it."

"You what-"

"It wasn't intentional, I was mugged! Damn that Orochimaru, he paid a hostess to spike my drink. I think he's still pissed off that I beat him to getting that handcuff supplier deal- "

"You went clubbing with _my_ rental money? Weren't you supposed to head to the bank first?"

"I did, but the deposit machine broke down so I figured I'll just come back again tomorrow…" Itachi was speechless. He knew Sasuke was a smart kid, but growing up in luxury and savings account with a routine bank in had left him clueless to the concept of hard-earned money. "Look, I'm sorry, I'll head down to the bank and pay for your rent immediately. My latest dividend just came through yesterday-"

"I'll pay you back next month."

"No! It was my fault, you don't have to worry about that." Sasuke knew Itachi was cash strapped, and it was nice that he was not rubbing that fact on him.

"Don't forget to drop Hanazuki-san a call." After a couple more apologies, the call ended and he headed to the bus stop opposite, going towards Sasuke's apartment. He knew the apartment was popular, but he was only a day late, and he knew the landlord had a soft spot for Sasuke, so if all went right he might be able to reclaim back his home by tomorrow.

* * *

There was no way he was giving up his room, not after investing in that bucket of paint and revamping that space into a decent place. A place he could finally call home.

Itachi felt his shoulders slackened. It had only been a _day_.

"I'm sorry Itachi-kun. I'm sure you know, the apartments here are always on demand, having a good distance between the university and shopping district. Besides, this poor boy has been on the queuing list for the past months! I called him and told him there was a room, only to realise you've just banked in the money, but I can't possibly boot him off after that…"

 _Actually, you can_. Itachi barely bit back that retort as Hanazuki Yukiko continued on, completely missing that flash of fire burning in his onyx eyes.

"Then Sasuke boy called and requested me to please keep the room vacant for you. I didn't want to disappoint him, so I decided this is the next best option, for all of us," She declared with a hand towards the door, as they waited for the new occupant to open the door of _his_ home.

 _So you can't disappoint my little brother but you can disappoint me, the person who's actually paying_. Itachi thought with resignation as the tenant finally showed himself.

"Kisame-kun, meet Itachi-kun. Itachi-kun, this is Hoshigaki Kisame, your new roommate."

* * *

 **So… These random scenes have been flitting through my mind for a while now, and I've decided to snip and fix them together to form a short story. Short as my goal is to make this a daily thing, ranging between 100-1000 words, depending on what strikes. Guys, feel free to drop your ideas – this is for made you after all.**


	2. Prank

**#2 – Prank**

Ignoring his outstretched hand, Itachi's eyes zoned onto the aquarium tank sitting next to the television, not taking the new decoration very well. Was that a goldfish swimming next to a _shark_?

After unsuccessfully staring and hoping that the glass tank would miraculously break from his evil eye, he reluctantly pulled his eyes towards the burly man. The audacity of him to beam at him after barging into his space like this!

"Uchiha…Itachi yea? Can I call you Itachi-san? Sounds weird to be all formal now that we'll be living together." Itachi squeezed his eyes shut as they shook hands. "Call me Kisame."

"Can I come in now?"

"Come… Oh right, silly me blocking the way," Kisame laughed self-deprecatingly as Itachi sucked in a deep breath at the empty cans of beer stacked on the coffee table and lewd magazines strewn across the sofa. It was not as if he did not understand, he was a man after all. However, certain things should be enjoyed in…moderation, and preferably behind closed door.

"You looked familiar, have we met before?" His eyes followed Itachi's. "Sorry, I wasn't expecting anyone, so didn't bother cleaning up. You have no cause for worry, I'm usually a very neat person," Kisame assumed behind him. "Anyway, did the contractors recently refurbish the rooms? I can detect a hint of fresh paint. Man, looks like I'm in luck!"

"If only I can say the same."

"Did you say something, Itachi-san?"

" No, I'm glad you're enjoying yourself."

* * *

Itachi was still feeling slightly pissed off at Kisame's memo, reminding him to shut the windows before leaving like he owned the frigging place, when something knocked against his arm, scattering all his books in the middle of the hallway.

"I'm so sorry!" The girl hastily gathered everything, but before she could pass them back, her eyes widened and she promptly dropped everything _on his feet_.

"S-So So-sorry! Let me-"

"No it's okay, you stay back," Itachi asserted while he imagined sending Kisame's porn magazines for recycling to distract himself from the throbbing in his toes. By the time he was done picking himself up, the girl was nowhere to be seen.

 _During lunch_ …

Grabbing the food tray, he made purposeful strides towards the furthest end of the canteen next to the courtyard, training his eyes ahead to avoid being invited to join his classmates.

He really did not see the point of joining, seeing he never talked anyway.

It was unusually quieter than usual. Any other day he would pay just to tape everyone's mouth shut, but something felt awry.

He causally brushed his fingers over his scalp to smoothen out any stray hair (not that he had any) and glanced down at his white shirt to check for any stains. _Everything clear_.

He then proceeded to accidentally brush his hands over the wallet on the table, taking the chance to cast his sight around the canteen.

...Why was everybody looking at him?

Seated two seats away was a junior spotting purple long hair who emitted the same approachable aura as him, and seemed likely to hold the answer to his doubts. He set down his utensils and scooted closer.

"Excuse me, do you know if I did anything to be worthy of all these attention?"

"H-Huh?" Hyuuga Hinata was visibly stunned that a guy just spoke to her, much more her senior.

"I've noticed lots of whisperings and deliberate attempt of avoiding eye contact with me."

"You really have no idea?" She inquired softly as he firmly shook his head. "I-It's because of that letter…" She blushed furiously when nothing registered in his face and his continued gaze on her. "The letter you wrote to Haruno-san," She revealed with a glance towards Sakura sitting five tables away from them.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." _Isn't that the girl who bumped into me this morning_?

"I-I'm sure it's not true but everyone is s-saying you wrote a letter to her…"

"While I can assure you I did no such thing, may I know what's in the contents of the letter, Hinata-san?"

"H-How do you know my…" Hinata swallowed apprehensively at his sombre expression, deciding it was not worth it to be potentially murdered for her question. She was better off placating this man first. "It was a l-love confession, and that you'll p-propose to her upon graduating…" She timidly looked up, unable to decipher his expression. "It's definitely just a prank right, Uchiha-san?"

Itachi directed a weary eye towards Sakura, who happened to be sneaking glances at him and quickly spun back around. He rubbed his palm over his face, lamenting at the end of his three-year of low-profile university days.

"A-Are you alright, Uchiha-san?"

"Thank you for telling me this." Hinata was uncertain she could handle his gratitude, but murmured a self-effacing "welcome" anyway.

Just before he could force down his last spoonful of tasteless curry, his phone beeped.

From Shisui:

 _My woodblock cousin's getting married? Good lord I'm crying on behalf of the Heavens! Tell me it's not raining church bells and flowers out there nowwwwwwwww!_

Hinata jumped as Itachi slammed the spoon on the table, nearly toppling the bench as he got up. She continued to nimble on her sushi while watching Itachi's retreating and shaking back in concern. She genuinely hoped he could understand that this was just a joke and not decide to take any responsibility.

* * *

 **Somehow, I love seeing Itachi getting pissed off.**


	3. Misunderstanding

**#3 – Misunderstanding**

It took some work, but it was not impossible.

Apparently moved by the depth of his love letter, the people rooting for him were coming up to him and volunteering Sakura's timetable, preferred exits, and even bus numbers, information that he could only purchase from a private eye. While thankful for their unexpected help, he could only wonder the kind of friends Sakura was making, for them to betray her daily routine so readily. However, it had been five days – he was growing tired of playing stalker and was planning to break into the staff room that evening just to put an end to his misery.

After fixing up the broken arm of the skeleton model that Tsunade-sensei snapped during her anatomy demonstration, Sakura rotated her neck and peered out towards the pitch-black landscape, astonished that her lab duty had taken her into the night.

"Took you long enough."

Sakura yelped and dropped the keys, the pointed ridges falling bulls-eye into her feet.

"Ouch!"

"Sorry, did I scare you-"

She slipped on the keys and flew back into his arms, and they suddenly found themselves plastered back to chest along the deserted corridor.

"Are you okay?" Compounded by the darkness and quietude, Sakura shivered at his hot breath tickling her ear. She thought she was used to hearing heartbeats and treated them as part of a clinical procedure, but this was a first that she found hers picking up pace, threatening to swallow her mind with their deafening and persistent poundings.

Sakura nodded her head and pulled out of his grip, quickly distracting herself with searching for the keys. Was this her retribution for smashing his feet the other day?

"You're waiting for someone?"

"That letter was not written by me." She stopped her search and slowly turned around.

"It wasn't?"

"It's most likely my cousin's prank. He seems to love putting me in a spot and seeing me all miserable, and it worked." Shisui was probably still mad that the waitress from the curry restaurant asked for his number instead of Shisui. He had clearly underestimated his fondness for that plain and overly touchy-feely woman. He knew from experience that this was a man who would stand him up last minute for a date, but did he have to go this far just to nurse his hurt ego?

"That's… A relief. I was _so_ worried, for days I thought you were for real and couldn't catch a night's sleep in peace!" She burst out with a hearty slap to her chest, overtly delighted with this flash of good news.

For some reason her reaction ticked him off.

"Are you _that_ relieved?" When her laughter finally subsided and she noticed his visible displeasure, she quickly covered her mouth, but the grin behind her hand was unshakable.

"Pfff don't get me wrong, but I've went by a week thinking I've got a stalker on my back. I mean Sasuke-kun's older _brother_ , really? We haven't even talked once!"

"You know Sasuke?" By the way she addressed him, they must be on familiar terms.

"He was my classmate throughout middle to high school, but can't say I know him… We don't really talk much, to be honest," She commented bashfully.

"He's a tough shell to crack, isn't he?"

"Not just tough, but rude, anti-social, arrogant…" She trailed off at the sight of his elevated brows. "And o-of course I didn't mean all that-"

"You do know him well after all." They shared a meaningful moment of eye contact, before breaking into smiles at their hopeless cause of a brother and classmate.

"I'm really sorry about the letter," Itachi reverted into a serious tone and bowed slightly.

"C-Come on, you don't have to get all formal…"

"I sincerely hope it doesn't affect your chances."

"At what?"

"At getting a boyfriend."

"…That's your concern? I don't know if you know this, but I get at least three letters of confession per week, so you have nothing to worry about," She boasted with a slight puff in her chest, though her earlier reactions to his letter clearly belied her lack of or zero courtships.

"Right, but just in case, you should put up some posters to publicly decline my proposal, just to put me back on the market too."

"What?"

"I'm just joking." He was either really good at playing deadpan, or he was seriously hoping she would take up his advice. "You have club activities today?" Itachi nodded towards her shoe bag sitting by the door.

"Well, er, yeah. I'm going over to meet them now actually. We're meeting outside for dinner," She quickly added before he could offer to show her to the imaginary clubroom.

"I see." He pulled himself up from the wall he was leaning on and with a final nod, made his way down the corridor. "You should go home early, since you have an early class tomorrow."

"How did you know?"

"I have to know something about the girl I'm proposing to, don't I?" She thought she caught a faint grin on his face but all she could make out now was his fast retreating back.

"H-Hey!" He stopped and slowly turned around. "Will I see you again?"

"We're in the same faculty, the chances are high."

"I see… W-What, you're in _med_?"

He shook his head at her uninhibited dismal, wondering just what kind of person she thought he was as he carried on his silent walk into the night.

* * *

 **Sakura is probably the only female who isn't flattered that Itachi is crushing on her... And why is my word count increasing?!**


	4. Hug

**#4 – Hug**

"Are you even the Itachi I knew?"

"If you cannot stand the sight of my face, I'll be happy to move out." Slapping his suitcase shut, he silently padded out of his room without so much as a backward glance at him. He would never forget the stroke of satisfaction reverberating through his core as he shut the door in his Father's stupefied face.

For the first time in a long while, he found his voice, and stood his ground.

He could not believe that defiance tasted sweeter than dango, his one and only guilty pleasure.

Even the guilt of abandoning his mother and Sasuke could not weigh down his soaring heart-

"No you don't Itachi! You're the heir to the Uchiha clan and you jolly well fulfil your responsibilities!"

"What are you- Let go of me!" The sudden weight on his back sent them crashing to the floor, but for some strange reason, his Father felt heavier than he should be. He was clinging onto his waist like a drowning toddler grasping onto a stray log, his grip relentless and tight as his oppressive presence.

"Father, this is-"

"I like you…"

The nauseating waft of beer stirred him from his memory turned nightmare, while the overwhelming load on his back transgressed to reality, stubbornly weighing him down on the bed.

"What on Earth…?"

"…an… I'm here…" Kisame mumbled and spontaneously tightened his hug on Itachi.

"Kisame? What the hell are you doing in my room? Get off me- W-Where the hell are you touching-" Itachi released an involuntary groan as he mustered all his overnight energy and hurled his body against the bed's headboard. The first thing he noticed was the hairpin wedged into his doorknob's keyhole followed by the putrid mass of puke by the door.

"Give me a break… It's only three in the morning damn it," He cursed under his breath as he racked his hand through his fringe.

Roughly grabbing his hairband by the bedside table he irately mopped up the mess. He was tempted to pour the filthy water onto Kisame's body, but that would also destroy his bed in the process.

Slamming _his_ bedroom door behind him, he quickly downed the remaining bottles of beer stacked on the coffee table to sizzle down his anger. And he did not even liked beer. Almost feeling his mood improved, he reached for his weekly subscription Time magazine underneath, only to be greeted with a double D FHM model on the cover, and proceeded to curse some more.

* * *

 **Some kinky bromance for you Shannon.**


	5. Brothers

**#5 – Brothers**

"Welcome! Oh…Itachi-boy, you don't look so good. Did you not sleep well last night?"

"Good Evening, Hana-san. There was some…disturbance, but nothing I can't handle." Itachi managed a weak smile to the Dango Store's lady boss as he put on the red apron and bandana on autopilot. He gratefully accepted the ginger tea that she had prepared before slipping into position behind the counter.

"Ever since you came, our store's seeing more customers, especially with females," Uchiha Hana commented gaily while counting away at the cashier.

"It seems that way," Itachi replied as he scanned the room of lady patrons laughing and gossiping away under the dim orange glow of the lamp. He was secretly hoping that it would mean some dango on the house for his supper after work. He was facing some serious dango withdrawal syndrome; the last time he had some was three days ago.

"Welcome Takada-san, what can I help you with today?"

"Y-You can just call me Yoshino! And…the usual please, Uchiha-sama- I-I mean Uchiha-san," Yoshino quickly corrected with a diffident blush.

"Jyaa, Yoshino-san, five sticks of dango with chocolate toppings?"

"Yes pleaseeee," Yoshino answered and decided she could finally die without regrets.

After reluctantly selling off the last stick of dango to a lady who would not stop giggling, he waved goodbye to Hana and exited with a dejected sigh.

"What's with the sigh?"

"Sasuke? What are you doing here?" Sasuke pocketed his phone and handed him the small paper bag that he had just given to the last customer.

"I just finished meeting a client, and since I know you're working today, thought I could drop by." Sasuke smiled to himself as he watched his brother chewed away blissfully at his favourite snack. Always making time out of packed schedules, they would occasionally meet and catch up with one another's lives, tittle-tattling about inconsequential things as they ambled along the bustling night street.

"Come on Itachi, I don't see why you're still working at Aunt hana's place. You don't even get free dango!"

"It's near my place, and that last stick was originally reserved for me."

"Come and work at our company. My Accountant just quitted, and you're good with numbers. I'll pay you triple of what you're getting."

"I'm satisfied with what I'm earning now." The truth was, he was barely earning enough to cover his daily expenditure. If he had the foresight to register his name in the university as anyone other than one of the top three richest clans in Konoha, his GPA would have easily secured him a full scholarship. Heck, he would even offer to pay for Kisame's rent, so long as he could get the hell out of his place.

"I still don't understand why you're so attached to that store-"

"Did Father pay you to do this?"

"W-What? Of course not! You know it's…my dream to work along side with you since young," He grumbled with a pout as Itachi's eyes softened and poked his cheek with the dango stick.

"I'll think about it."

"You always say that."

"You know what, I'm famished. Shall we stop by your favourite ramen store? My treat." Itachi knew his distraction worked as the corner of Sasuke's eyes lit with a sparkle.

"I'm still feeling quite full, but since you're hungry, I don't mind accompanying you," Sasuke responded with an insouciant shrug.

"Aren't you an accommodating brother, Sasuke?"

"Glad you realised; you must have done some incredible deed in your past life to be blessed with this great sibling."

* * *

 **I'm an only child so I'm not really sure, but I've heard that siblings fight all the time over who gets the toilet first.**


	6. Forgiveness

**#6 – Forgiveness**

Since Itachi could not chase Kisame out of his place, he decided to treat him as furniture.

"Hey Itachi-san welcome back," Kisame twisted around the sofa and greeted in a jovial tone, waving an envelope in his hand, "Your Time subscription just arrived, thought I'd help you pick up from the mailbox…" Drifting past the living room, he wasted no steps getting to his room.

"…Maybe he didn't hear me, but he doesn't seem the type to blast his earphone…"

"Hey Itachi-san, my goldfish's giving birth! Come and watch, this is good practice for your future wife!" Other than a snort that was quickly masked behind a cough, Itachi remained unstirred by the sofa.

Frowning at his indifferent reflection by the tank, Kisame made his way towards his roommate.

"Just what are you reading that you can't tear your eyes off-" Itachi propped up his legs across the sofa just before Kisame could cosy up beside him.

"…I'll take it that you don't want to be disturbed?"

 _The next morning_ …

Fresh out of the shower, Kisame rubbed absentmindedly at his tousled blue hair while his partner sat by the sofa, a rather unexciting sight as usual. If not for today's newspaper, he would have thought that Itachi had sat at the same spot and read for the whole night.

"Say Itachi-san," He began causally as he prepared his Nespresso latte, "By any chance you're still angry over what happened that day?" Itachi continued to face the newspaper, but he had stopped skimming the texts.

He was about to defend himself, but that would mean talking to furniture, and who in their sane mind would interact with their fixtures?

Just then the doorbell rang, and in an attempt to please, Kisame sprang to the door like a faithful butler as Itachi ducked to the shower.

"Hey Itachi, where are the keys you said you'll be giving me- _Kisame_ -san?"

"S-Sasuke-kun?"

"What are you doing here?" They broke out simultaneously, gawping like a pair of goldfishes.

"Don't tell me…" Kisame was the first to recover. "You're Itachi-san's brother?"

"…And you're that new roommate?" Sasuke shook his head in disbelief. "Even if it's coincidental, this is just creepy."

"No wonder I thought Itachi looked familiar… Anyway, it's great to see you again! Hid and Kak just requested for a rematch three days ago, and I've been cursing myself for being an idiot and not getting your number." Kisame waved his phone in self-reproach before passing it to Sasuke.

"Great timing, we've just received a new batch of balls and cue sticks. Let's hit them up."

Shaking his head to rid of those loose droplets, Itachi was greeted with the sight of his brother and Kisame huddled together by the entrance, snickering away into the smartphone like some high school girls.

And here he thought being hugged by a man was weird enough.

As though on a cheerleader's cue, they turned their attention towards the frozen and dripping (hot) Itachi, and burst out in unison.

"Why didn't you tell me that Sasuke-kun is your brother?"

"Why didn't you tell me that Kisame-san is your roommate?" Itachi nearly rolled his eyes; they were even talking in sync. What were they, some long separated _brothers_? Two hearts beating as one?

"No one asked…" He muttered grudgingly as they carried the conversation towards the kitchen island.

"You came knocking at just the right time. Here have some of my homemade coffee," Kisame offered and prepared three cups.

"Who are you kidding? This is definitely three in one," Sasuke smirked and nearly scalded his tongue.

"What's wrong Itachi-san? Drink up before it gets cold," He nudged hesitantly when he caught him glaring at the cup, like he was just served with poison.

"Sorry, Itachi doesn't take caffeine, though mocha's fine yea?" Itachi faintly smiled and reached into his pockets.

"Here are the spare keys, sorry I forgot to pass to you the other day."

"Great, Kisame-san you don't mind right?"

"O-Of course not, this was originally Itachi-san's place anyway. Drop by whenever you like," He asserted with a furtive glance at Itachi, which Sasuke picked up.

"Am I imagining things, or is the atmosphere between you two a bit off…?" Knowing that Itachi was determined to remain mum, Kisame cleared his throat.

"Well it's my fault really. The other day, I was feeling down and got really drunk, then mistook Itachi's room for mine. All I can remember is my head hitting the bed, and it's next morning."

"…Is that all?"

"…Not to mention picking my lock, using me as a human bolster, and vomiting his guts all over my room," Itachi added, taking a spiteful bite into the baguette.

"You made my brother clean up your puke in the middle of the night? No wonder he isn't taking very well to that… Hey this coffee's really good."

"Hmph." At least Sasuke was on his side, even if he praised the coffee.

"I puked? Man I'm so sorry Itachi-san, I didn't know… You can beat the shit out of me, take all my beers, anything to relieve your displeasure."

"He even offered his beers, this alcoholic! I think you can _consider_ forgiving him, Itachi," Sasuke quipped, clearly amused by this uncle's bicker.

"I'll even pay for your next month's Time's subscription, you love those right?"

Honestly, he was not even angry, maybe on the day when it happened, but with time his rage had sizzled into stubbornness... It was the reluctance of letting him off the hook so easily, after that wonderful stunt he had pulled on him.

"…Just cut it out. You guys are making feel like some mean big Sister." Eyeing the steaming coffee on the table, he picked it up and took a gulp, to their surprise. Kisame nearly teared at the sight.

"That's your cue to get down on all fours and thank his magnanimity," Sasuke jested with a sideways thumb.

Ah, nothing quite like the bittersweet taste of giving in.

* * *

 **Feeling guilt for turning Itachi into some petty man...**


	7. Promise

**#7 – Rendezvous**

He should be feeling bad for Hana-san, but he could no longer contain the grin creeping sideways along his lips.

Even after extending the closing time by an hour, there were still mountains of dango left untouched. The usual protocol was to divide the leftovers among the staffs, but since it was just him today…

He would love to savour this with Sasuke, but since he was not much of a sweet tooth, he would have to make do with Kisame, assuming he was sober enough.

He headed to a vending machine a few blocks down that stocked up his favourite honey green tea, and with that he was a happy man.

"Uchiha Itachi?" He spun around, but other than a blonde lady reeking of alcohol queuing behind, there was nobody that he could recognise in his immediate surrounding…

"Where are you looking? Have you forgotten me already, your future _bride_?" Itachi stopped scanning and peered into the lady standing right before him.

"Sakura?" He frowned as he took in her long blonde wig, mini white hat, white satin dress sitting way too high above her knees, and strappy high heels.

"Hi… Didn't expect to meet again like this." She tucked embarrassingly at her dress hem and darted her eyes away as his eyes travelled down her length. "So…what are you doing here at this hour?"

"I just finished work." He momentarily shut his eyes, as though at a loss for words. "You looked really different."

"J-Just so you know, I don't usually dress like this. This is my work attire – I'm wearing a wig so no one at school recognise me, and it clearly worked," she quipped in an attempt to lighten the atmosphere.

"You…" His expression was undecipherable. "Are you doing compensated dating-"

"No!" She exclaimed and hurriedly explained, "I'm working as a waitress at a club, and I just got off work early…" It was already midnight, and this was considered early?

"Is this the "club activity" you mentioned?"

"Huh?" She was surprised he still remembered. "Haha, I guess it's a lame attempt to make myself feel better, since this isn't a job you go around bragging about-"

"Then quit. This isn't the only way to make money."

"I wish I can," She answered with a soft smile, "But it doesn't always work so easily. I'm on honours track, so between the extra classes and work, I need a short and high-paying job that doesn't clash with some of my evening lectures-"

"You can work at my store," He blurted out. "We could use some extra help." Hana was just talking about dismissing some of the part-timers, and Itachi was practically working a full-timer's shift, she thought two pairs of hand would be enough. Well, Sakura needed not bother with the specifics.

"I don't think that's a good idea…"

"It may not pay as well as the club, but at least you could work in a safer environment. _And out of this provocative outfit and heavy make-up_ , he thought quietly. "You can work the night shift too."

"I-I guess I can try working there for a while…"

"Alright, then let's go." He grabbed her hand.

"Huh?" Her voice hitched at the familiar and strangely intimate contact. "T-To where?"

"To tell your manager you're quitting of course."

"Wait a second! I can't just quit whenever I want! I need to submit a month's notice or I'll have to pay a compensation fee…"

"How much is the fee?"

"Five times of my pay, but that's not the point-"

"I'll pay. Is that the club?" He cocked his chin towards the sleazy crowd hanging out by the marble tiled entrance, with a cigarette peeking out from everyone's mouth and beer bottles rolling around.

"Itachi-san stop!" At her sudden pull, he finally stopped, but kept his grip on her.

"…At least let me work till the end of the week to get my pay, that okay?" She whispered the question, hoping to allay his concern and soften the frown on his face. He took a hard look at her pleading eyes, and at last released a sigh.

"I don't like this arrangement, but it'll do for now."

"Thank you." She waited as he took out a pen and scribbled something on her palm, his warm and gentle touch sending fire through her body.

"Call me when you're done. I'll come fetch you on your last day." He held her eyes for a meaningful second before walking off.

"L-Let me walk you home!"

"Silly, that's a man's job. So where do you live, Sakura?"

* * *

 **Wonder what Itachi thought about Sakura in a sexy waitress costume…**


	8. Secrets

**#8 - Secrets**

"Itachi, are you sure you don't want to come with us?"

"Yea, don't worry about me and have fun," Itachi assured for the fifth time. Just as Sasuke was closing the door, he quickly stopped him.

"Changed your mind?" Sasuke's voice was hopeful.

"No…" He bit back his grin at his brother's crestfallen face and put on a sombre expression. "Can I borrow some money from you?" Sasuke frowned at the last request he expected to hear from Itachi.

"Sure, how much?"

"5K." No explanations.

"I have a cheque book with me now, hold on a sec." Sasuke was carefully observing his brother's expressions and body language as he passed him the cheque, but as usual, he could not discern anything from that poker face.

"Thank you, Sasuke."

"Alright, then I'm off. Just let me know if you need any help, yea?" Itachi nodded and ruffled Sasuke's hair, grateful that he did not pry further.

Two hours later, he was done with his research report. Just as he was stretching over his head, his phone that was lying on the bed beeped.

Sasuke:

 _Score's 3-1, of course we're on the winnin' side. Oh yea, Kisame-san asked to help him get two packets of those coffee. Also, get one for me, that thing's real good_.

The timing could not be better. It was almost dinnertime anyway, and he was craving for the Japanese curry opposite the mart.

Despite the ridiculously long queue, he was able to get to the front with a breeze, thanks to the affectionate housewives who were all too eager to give up their spots. Since he hit a certain age, he had been facing relatively great fortune at supermarket queues…

"There's no way you would do that, hm."

"Oh _yes_ I will!" A couple was having a squabble by an alley, and he quickly strode past them, not in the least interested.

"Like anyone's gonna let you-"

"Now you've said it! …Hey excuse me!" Hearing the rapid steps catching up behind him, Itachi stopped and turned around. A girl in high blonde ponytail breathed out as she waved at him, and for a split second he thought that was Sakura.

"Would you do me a favour?" Before he could go ahead and reject, she stretched both arms around his neck and landed a kiss on his half-opened lips. She was pushing _hard_ into his body, her humongous boobs grinding against his chest. To make matters worse, they were standing in the middle of the street.

His rational mind was bawling at him to push her off immediately, but his male instinct was telling him otherwise. Barely overriding his overheating sensory system, he grasped her shoulders and attempted to pry her off.

"J-Just a little while more," She whispered coarsely against his now moist lip, "Until he sees this-"

" _INO, w-what are you_...!"

Smirking against their moist contact, she finally retreated from his embrace (?), and he breathed out in relief. The image of Sakura made him lowered his guard; he needed to make sure something so ludicrous would be the last. Just when he thought he was saved, she suddenly wrapped an arm around his free arm tightly.

"If you can flirt with that bitch, then why can't I pick up a hot guy off the streets? Anyway, it's nice meeting you. Bye now, _boyfriend_." Sticking out a tongue in her boyfriend's direction, she twisted them around and marched down the street, the guy's protests all but fallen on death ears.

To save the girl's face, he did not protest and allowed himself to be led by the arm through the anonymous sea of after work crowd. Luckily, she quickly brought them into the next alley between the blocks, and finally set him free. Faced with a novel situation like this, he was beyond himself, and sighed once more.

"Would you mind explaining what was that?"

"I'm so, _so_ sorry!" Yamanaka Ino clapped her hands in prayer style, completed with a complete bow to the knees. "My boyfriend was being an idiot and I wanted to teach him a lesson-"

"Regardless of your reason, that was really uncalled for." Not to mention he actually knew who her boyfriend was, but never mind that for now.

"I know, and I don't expect to forgive me so easily… Wait a second, are you-"

"Yes, I'm mad. I think anyone would be mad in this kind of situation-"

"Uchiha Itachi? Oh my _gosh_ , I just kissed the guy who proposed to Sakura? You can't be serious!" Ino slapped her forehead and instantly fell into a state of despair, much to Itachi's utter bafflement. Shouldn't he be the one crying out in despair now? That was his frigging first kiss!

 _One hour later_ …

"We're back! …Itachi, what's wrong? You looked like the house just caught fire," Sasuke commented with slight concern as he plopped onto the armchair beside him, and popped a beer Kisame threw in his direction.

"Sasuke… Do you remember anything about your first kiss-"

" _Cough cough_ …" Sasuke nearly choked on his drink. "W-What? What's with the sudden question?" Kisame guffawed as he took a swig.

"Don't make that face, Sasuke-kun. Your first kiss luck probably went elsewhere, like to your business brain."

Kisame was right, but unlike his brother, Itachi's luck went to something not that useful, like getting express tickets at supermarket queues. He _knew_ there was a price to pay, just never thought in a thousand years it would be this-

"Hey Itachi-san, you have a lipstick print on your back sleeve."

* * *

 **I raked my brain for the entire day, and this was the best awkward situation I can throw Itachi into (and get a kick out of).**


	9. Phonecall

**#9 – Phonecall**

 **Didn't realise I didn't publish this after I uploaded it...**

* * *

After he could no longer ignore and endure the phone's endless ringing, he blindly groped around the bedside table, and ended up knocking the device down the floor.

"Give me a break…"

"Hello?" The impact must have activated the speaker function; he knew he was being uncharacteristically lazy but after a sleepless night of tossing and finally falling asleep, only to be pestered awake?

"…Who's speaking?" He answered grumpily.

"Sorry, did I call at the wrong time?" At the familiar feminine cadence, his eyes snapped apart, and he immediately sat up.

"Sakura?"

"Hooray you recognise my voice," She false cheered.

Even though he was squinting, no light was peeking through the curtains, and his room remained blanketed in pitch black.

"It's slightly over five." There was a long pause. "Itachi-san, I think I won't be quitting my job." Sensing that this would take some time, he closed his eyes and leaned against the headboard.

"What's wrong, did something happen?"

"Nothing, I just feel indebted to the manager for letting me work there."

"Sakura, I don't need to see your eyes to know you're lying," He lightly admonished.

"I-I'm not…"

"Sakura."

"D-Do you know that Ino has a boyfriend?" She rushed out the question that he nearly missed it if not for the absolute silence of the bedroom.

"What?" He recalled that was the name of the girl who kissed her against his will yesterday. "What has that got to do with-"

"…And yet you two still kissed? Just answer me!" He racked his fingers through his hair, wondering if there was another rumour circulating out there about that fateful incident, and ruining his reputation. After the way Ino reacted, it seemed unlikely for her to discuss this with her.

"…Would you believe me if I told you there's an explanation to this?"

"There always is, isn't there?"

"Long story short, your friend was quarrelling with another man, I was lucky enough to be nearby, and was forced to provide lip service... And to answer your earlier question, yes I do know she has a boyfriend," He rattled off in a breath, wishing to never relive that memory again.

"Wow… I knew Ino has a screw loose, but who knew she would go as far as randomly assaulting a guy's lips on the streets?"

"At least we're on the same page on this matter..." He trailed off when he realised something was not adding up. "Wait, how do you know about this anyway?"

"Well… I saw it, just the kissing par though. I was sitting by the café nearby when everything went down."

"Well, now you know I'm actually a victim in this assault. Do you feel better?" There was a heartbeat of silence, before both of them cracked without restrain into the speakers.

"Yes, much better, and Itachi-san?"

"Hmm?"

"Sorry for waking you up at such weird hour. I… I just needed to be sure." Itachi could almost feel her blush. "Thanks for indulging me. Goodnight then, or should I say good morning?"

"I highly doubt I can go back to sleep now. Wanna talk for a bit?" _Wait, what_?

"You wanna chat at _this_ time?"

"Since you woke me up, might as well take some responsibility." He could not believe he just said that; he should be rushing to catch some sleep and not trying to _flirt_ at this ungodly hour!

"…Alright. Hold on, let me get onto my bed." He could hear some rapid shuffling of footsteps and the swishing of cloths. Why did she have to mention _bed_ of all things? And just what was he imagining?

"Something must be wrong with my head…"

"I'm back! What shall we talk about, Itachi-san?"

"Maybe you can start with your relationship with Ino? Sounds like you guys are good friends."

"Good friends? She's my sworn enemy! But compared to last time, I guess I don't dislike her as much…" Their bedroom conversation carried well into the breaking of dawn, which ended with Sakura eventually dozing off on the line.

"Goodnight Sakura, it was fun talking to you."

* * *

 **Forget Sakura, my eyes are literally closed as I was typing these last words, but a challenge is a challenge, for the sake of you guys, I shall press through! Hope I didn't make Itachi sound like a player – I was kinda drawing references from past phone calls with my exs...**


	10. Invitation

**#10 – Invitation**

Sasuke causally casted his eyes around, nodding heads at some of the resident hostesses as his eyes continued searching along the blue LED hallways.

"Where you looking? Our room's this way," His latest client instructed as he buried that dash of disappointment deep in his chest and strode into their usual suite.

"What's the occasion today, Akio?" Sasuke asked the waitress that just entered the room with their drinks. "It's noisy out there."

Akio bowed in apology and meekly shook her head.

"Please don't worry, Uchiha-san. It's just the usual troublemakers. I'm sure they'll be taken care of in a moment-"

"Sir, you can't enter that room!"

"Leave me alone! I'm going to get back at that bastard for what he's done…"

The door flew apart and a slender blonde wearing a white tuxedo stormed in, his ponytail smacking the protesting waiters behind in fury.

"Uchiha Itachi! I know you're here! Where's Itachi?"

"Why are you looking for my brother?" The man stopped his frantic search and narrowed his eyes at a cross-armed and unimpressed Sasuke.

"Who the hell are you, hm?"

"Didn't you hear the staffs? You're not supposed to be in this room, mister." He turned on the signature Uchiha glare that sent the waitresses and hostesses into shivers and his client second thoughts about declining his proposal. "Now get out before I have to get rough with you."

"So the Uchiha on the room's name list is _you_?" Deidara slapped his forehead and scowled at the receptionist peeking by the entrance, as though it was her fault for the mix-up. "Hah, and even the conceited way you talk is a carbon copy. You're his brother alright, I'll admit." He leaned against the wall by the door and pointed at his phone.

"Call him, and ask him to come here, hm."

"Why should I?"

"Either you do that, or you and I can have a little overnight camp in this suite, on your tap of course, hm." He flashed a victory grin and proceeded to shoo all the staffs out.

 _At a certain apartment_ …

Itachi silently laughed as he snorted into the speaker.

"Your mother said what?"

"She said that if I don't learn to make dumplings by the time I turned thirteen, I'll not be able to make babies when I grow up. And I actually believed that crap!" Sakura carped. "So for the next month, all I've been doing after I got home from school is make dumplings, while my Mother goes about distributing _my_ hard work, claiming she's doing this for _my_ future."

"It might be a little far-fetched, but have your neighbours been treating you better since then?"

"Well, they do drop by with the occasional food that they accidentally made in excess…" Sakura felt an epiphany in that instant. "Looks like Mother's right huh…"

"Not sure about the baby part, but at least your public relations is under control."

"Not that I've had a chance to test that theory either-" There was a prolonged silence on both speakers as they cleared their minds of the implication of Sakura's words.

"...But I do agree mothers tend to force their kids to do things they're reluctant to, it's in their blood."

"What about you, Itachi-san? What did she try to make you do?"

"I think I'm a well-behaved child in general…"

"I don't doubt that. They're also usually the targets of pranks... Alright, alright I'm just joking!"

"Well, the only thing she told me to make was more friends I guess."

"What? Just how anti-social were you? Don't boys at that age usually go out and play soccer?"

"It's hardly fun to play soccer with just two people don't you think?" He replied, reminiscing the times where he and Shisui would snuck out after bedtime to the forest and catch fireflies. "I prefer soothing recreations like hiking through the woods."

"Wow, how old are you again now, sixty?"

 _Old enough to marry you_ , but he quickly waved that thought away.

"Sakura, I have an incoming call."

"From your hiking buddy?"

"Nope, my brother," He answered with amusement, imagining her smirk. "I'll talk to you later."

"Hey Itachi-san," Sakura called out as his finger was mid-way to the End Call button.

"Hmm?"

"…Would you like to try my dumplings? I'm making some this weekend for Ino, I could use some helping hand." At the growing silence, Sakura began to regret making such a bold move so soon…

"…Are you asking me out?"

"S-So do you want or not?"

"I would love to." He swore he could hear her sigh of relief. "Alright I better pick up his call before I get a beating down from him."

…

"What took you so long?" Sasuke hissed into his ears before he could spill his pleasantries.

"Sorry, I was on the phone. What's up?"

"Could you drop by the club two streets down your dango store- ITACHI get your ass right here _this_ instant! I have SCORES to settle with you hm- What the, don't snatch the phone from me you idiot- no little brother, YOU don't interrupt our conversation-"

The line cut just before their yelling became unbearable. He really did not feel like seeing Deidara again, especially after what went down between them in high school and the recent kissing escapade.

He was still debating his next move when his home screen lit up.

Sasuke:

 _You don't have to come anymore. That maniac's friend came to pull him out of the room before he could flip the table and smashed my head. Just what kind of friends are you making in your free time?_

* * *

 **Deidara's doomed to be a nutcase no matter which universe he ends up in kekeke... Sorry.**


	11. Rivals

**#11 – Rivals**

They were having dinner at Itachi (and Kisame's) place, celebrating the deal Sasuke had just clinched the night before at the club. Kisame was nowhere to be seen.

"To be honest I wasn't confident I could persuade that geezer seeing he wasn't pleased with me from the start," Sasuke confessed while chomping down the tenderloin. "If it wasn't for your friend and the 'good show' he has put up, I was prepared to walk off empty-handed." Sasuke noticed a minute pause in Itachi's knife at the mention of "friend."

"Deidara and I used to hang out in high school," Itachi began with an impassive face, but Sasuke could detect a forced casualness in his tone. That was the biggest difference between them: when Sasuke was upset, he made sure the entire universe was aware (and held accountable), while his brother would cast an eternal spell that fooled everyone (except him) that he was indifferent. "His voice broke really late, coupled with the ridiculous way he wore his hair it was easy for him to pass off as a girl-"

" _OH_ so the rumoured girlfriend you had back then was actually…" Sasuke's mouth clamped shut at his brother's puzzled brows and quickly waved him on.

"Despite the defiant look he seems so fond of wearing, he was a rather reserved guy…"

"Pff, I wonder what happened."

"…And he didn't find me disagreeable so we became friends." Sasuke waited for him to finish chewing his chicken cutlet, but instead he proceeded to refill his lemon tea.

"That's it?"

"That's it. I do believe we got on rather well for a while but towards the end of high school… Let's just say school's not the only thing he graduated from."

"So he basically just stopped talking to you?"

"I guess."

"Was it because of a girl?"

"None that I can remember." Sasuke wondered if there was any girl he would ever be remotely interested in. He felt bad for those try-hards while his brother was just sitting on his born prospects and letting them rot. Just then, Itachi's phone beeped. He took a sideward peek and quickly texted back.

"You're on your phone a lot lately."

"Am I?" He wiped his mouth and cleared both their plates. That was something of a custom since young, such mindless thoughtfulness was what Sasuke would use to describe his brother when prompted. "I'm heading out, are you heading elsewhere?" Their eyes darted in unison to the latest beep coming from Itachi's phone.

"Not tonight, though I was hoping we could go drinking…" Itachi sighed at his hopeful tone.

"Why you never stop trying remains a mystery." They walked along the mostly deserted night street and waved goodbye at the supermarket intersection, where Sasuke lingered just long enough to not be detected by his brother.

Years of battling in the harsh society has invariably involved occasionally tailing clients and rivals to sniff out their weaknesses, for the sake of a 'smoother transaction.' With his back plastered against the concrete wall, he twisted his head to catch the familiar entrance of the club he frequented, where his brother was talking to the manager. He swore that was the cheque Itachi had loaned from him a few days ago, now sitting in the back pocket of the manager's knockoff Armani.

Whipping out a compact mirror, he angled it to catch the reflection of a streetlight mirror that faced the club, capturing the curious scene in close-up. The lip-sync lessons his Father had insisted he took was finally realising its value.

"Here's...the…promised…amount…can...she…go…now? Must…be…nice…dating…rich…Uchiha…Haruno… Haruno?" Itachi spared the manager no further courtesy, took "Haruno" by her wrist and brisk down the street. He could not believe what he just witnessed – his frugal, finance-wise brother, owing his younger brother just to pay off a hostess's contract? And not just any hostess…

He needed more information. Sasuke swallowed the rising guilt and carried on tailing his brother and his new companion. Haruno made a sudden veer to the side and spilled her guts into the roadside drain. He was not sure how to feel as he watched his brother skilfully pulled back her long blond tresses, with hands accustomed to attending to such situations. Likewise, he found himself holding back his nod of approval as Itachi shrugged off his favourite black coach jacket and swung it over her bare shoulders, though deep down thankful to block the view from lecherous eyes.

Itachi used the back of his hand to wipe off the remnants of her puke and his hand seemed to linger a second too long. Sasuke convinced himself it was his imagination.

Years of commercial espionage have taught him things were not always what it seemed. He was not going to jump to conclusion; this was his _celibate_ brother he was talking about. He tried to level his breathing. He needed more information.

 **And I need more inspiration...**


	12. Weakness

**#12 – Weakness**

* * *

Itachi shook off the droplet of sweat from his fringe and squirmed at the runner who had just crossed the finish line, ending with an unnecessary cartwheel. The crowd roared in reciprocation and broke into a deafening applause; Itachi frowned upon realising the showoff was Deidara.

"Since when did he learn to run that fast…"

"Aren't you enjoying the race, _Suzuki_ -san," Sakura remarked as she took up position next to him, cocking her head in mild confusion. "Or is that a secret name I didn't know about, Itachi-san?"

"Suzuki called in sick last night; I'm the replacement."

"Didn't expect you would volunteer to man the first-aid stand."

"I'm also from the med department, it shouldn't be too strange that I'm here." He pointed towards his right chest, where the plastic nametag labelled "Uchiha" shone indignantly. Sakura was secretly impressed – he must have applied ahead in time to receive that nametag. She liked that they both enjoyed saving people.

"Well that's true, but I was expecting to see you on the race track…" She left the words hanging as her eyes trailed towards his eyes. He thought for a moment, wondering which part of him gave her such an impression. Surely athletes would not be consuming a dozen _dango_ as supplement on a weekly basis.

"I don't recall ever participating in any Sports Day."

"Oh! Sorry I must have confused you with Sasuke-kun then." She stuck out her tongue in embarrassment.

This was the first time they had officially spoken on campus; it had just come to his attention the frequency of their contacts outside school was nearly on par as Sasuke. Speaking of his brother, he was certain he had signed up for the 1.6 km run, and he made a mental note not to miss the race.

"You don't look so hot, want me to bring some water?"

"Sorry, take one for yourself too." Sakura nodded and jogged in the direction of the refreshments stand. A week ago, this had seemed like a great idea. It had been mostly cloudy and despite being well into mid-summer, the uncharacteristic windiness offered an illusion of early autumn. However, precisely the moment such thought crossed his mind, the weather gods conspired with a year's worth of scorching heat. Itachi licked the saltiness off his lips and tried to push away these useless thoughts.

Two girls he recognised by sight sashayed passed the first aid station and waved energetically at him. "Good morning, Uchiha-senpai! Looking forward to be saved by you…"

"Maya, what are you saying? Don't you go fainting during the relay!"

"That may just happen… I mean, _look_ at the sun! And where's the water station, I'm dying of thirst!"

"I'm back, here you go," Sakura said and handed over the plastic cup of water. To her dismal, he passed the cup that she had queued so long for to some random girl ogling over him in front of the booth. And did she think that no one noticed that unnecessary brushing of fingers over his hand…

"Aren't you thirsty too?" She managed out, even though what she wanted to say was, "Why did you do that?"

"Her race's about to start, she's not going to make it with that inefficient queue at the water station," He stated plainly and nodded his chin towards the snaking queue on the opposite side of the spectator's seats. Sure enough, the announcement of the commencement of Women's 400m Relay blasted from the overhead speakers.

"How thoughtful of you…"

"Do you mind me drinking from your cup?" Before she could answer with another snarky remark, his hand cupped over her hand gripping the cup and pulled it towards his lips. Sakura stood frozen and hyper-aware of the heat radiating from the contact between their hands. Itachi was careful not to swallow more than half of the drink, so even though it was barely enough he pulled back and brought the cup towards her mouth.

"Drink up." After producing a tiny nod did he seem satisfied and released his hand.

Sakura stared at the rim where his mouth was a second ago, trying not to think what it meant as she pressed her lips against the invisible imprint, and gulped down the water. Maya, the girl from before, had just crossed the finish line with remarkable distance from her opponents. She turned towards their direction and waved. Sakura resisted rolling her eyes and offered a few perfunctory claps.

As the races broke off and the sun rose higher and higher, students and staffs began collapsing one after another, along with the occasional ankle sprains and abrasions from their tumble. Even with the help of some staff volunteers, Itachi and Sakura were kept occupied, and their conversations were reduced to first-aid jargons.

Sakura had just finished setting up a makeshift shelter for the resting casualties when Itachi returned, his arms slung around a student who had fainted from the heat.

"Are you okay? Want to switch roles? I can carry them back."

"I'm fine, just need some water." Despite saying that, he made no protest as Sakura forced him down onto the casualty's chair and gently wiped his drenched forehead. He leaned against the backrest and closed his eyes, trying not to mind that Sakura had been wiping at the same spot for the past minute.

"Uchiha-san!" Their dedicate moment was interrupted by Maya's high-pitched voice. "I've brought you some juice," She declared and thrust the cup towards him, cutting between him and Sakura.

"Thank you, you didn't have to," He nodded in gratitude and gulped down the icy orange juice in one swig.

"Just wanted to thank you for earlier…" Her cat eyes slanted to Sakura standing next to his chair. "Oh sorry, I only brought one drink," She apologised with a sincerity that could compete with Sai.

"I'm fine," She replied coolly and pointed to the spectator's stand, "Your friend's calling you. Shouldn't you be going?" Just then two runners crashed into one another on the track, followed by a long blow of whistle, which was their signal to get to work.

"Itachi-san, let me handle this…" He stood up and pushed her onto his chair.

"You take a break." He gave her a faint smile and jogged towards the track. When it was just the two girls, Maya crossed her arms and scowled at Sakura's lingering eyes on his retreating back.

"I heard that you rejected his proposal, so why are you still sticking around him? Having second thoughts?" She was about to counter that she had signed on _before_ Itachi but remembered something Shizune Sis said, "A smart woman picks her fight." She owed this girl no explanation.

The crowd came alive once again as the honk echoed throughout the stadium, the start of the next race. Sakura noticed an agile figure spotting a spiky head of navy hair effortlessly taking the lead: Uchiha Sasuke representing his School of Business. The cheerleaders broke into a Sasuke-dedicated chant that the crowd easily synchronised to. Sakura really had to give it to the charm of the Uchihas.

Three rounds down, one more lap to go. By then most of the runners were at their limit, and it was down to a neck to neck between Sasuke and Inuzuka Kiba from the School of Bioscience. However it was apparent who would take the victory spot as Sasuke suddenly picked up pace and veered off the track…? Team Kiba's cheerleaders' and his smatterings of supporters' cries within the mostly deflated spectators quickly covered up the minute confusion.

However, when she saw where he was headed for, her heart stopped cold in her chest.

"Nii-san! Get out of my way…" He pulled off a parasol lying on the field and quickly erected it, shading them from the sun and nosy onlookers' sight. A minute ago, Itachi was carrying two boxes of rations from the truck. Sasuke knew he was weak to heat and hated such clamourous events above anything, but because he was participating, he came for him. Itachi was watching as Sasuke was prepping his last breath towards the finish line, when he suddenly got down to one knee, dropping the boxes onto the grass patch.

"Sa…sasuke," He breathed out between tight pants, his lips frightfully pale and dry. Sasuke propped him onto his knee, sweeping off his bothersome long fringes that Itachi was so fond of keeping.

"Follow my command, like we've done the last time, got it? Regulate your breathing, inhale, exhale…"

"Sasuke-kun, use this!" Sakura's voice cut between his frantic heartbeats. For a minute he was unsure to be more surprised by her ready appearance or what was in her outstretched hand. With his thumb, he flipped off the aspirator's transparent cap and inserted the mouthpiece into Itachi's mouth. After two deep inhalations, it seemed to do the trick, and his breathlessness gradually reduced into weary pants. Together they helped him into a sitting position and Sakura passed him a cup of warm water.

"I didn't know you have asthma," Sakura whispered softly by his ear.

"Didn't you tell me you're all good?" The momentary relief on Sasuke's face was once again overshadowed by the deep frown that told Itachi he was not pleased at all.

"Stop making that face, I'm fine now," Itachi chided with a light smile and pulled himself up.

"…You know I'm really glad you came and watch my race, but you know you're weak against heat, yet you still tire yourself out with carrying people and those damn boxes-"

Wow, Sakura thought inwardly. She had no idea Sasuke was such a nag. This was probably the most she had heard him speak since she knew him.

"Why do you have my aspirator, Sakura?" Itachi managed between Sasuke's endless nag, and Sasuke finally stopped, curious himself.

"Urgh, he told me not to say…" Sakura briefly eyed the spectator stand and turned towards Itachi. "It's Deidara-san, he was the one who passed it to me." His eyes widened by a fraction before it was replaced with his usual indecipherable gaze.

"Uchiha senpai! Are you all right?" It was Maya and her gang of busy mongers. "We saw you collapsed… Can you walk?"

"I'm fine. Congratulations on your win, Maya."

"It was all thanks to you, Uchiha-san…but are you really all right? I wonder if it was the heat…" Sakura eyed the cup of orange juice in Maya's grip as she downed it in one shot.

"It was the drink…" Sakura and Itachi mumbled simultaneously and locked sight, remembering one of their classes on the effects of cold drinks and exercises that triggered asthma. "So, she was the root of your trouble huh," Sakura hissed out in indignation.

"I'm fine now," He whispered behind her back just as Sasuke was picking up the fallen boxes and shooing away those girls, "Thank you."

"I was seriously worried." Sakura could not meet his eye and balled her fists, unable to comprehend his easy forgiveness. Itachi placed his palm over her fist, and gradually she relaxed her grip.

"If it wasn't for Deidara-san, who'd knew what would have happened?"

"Ah, looks like I owe him one huh…" Itachi mumbled with a hint of disbelief, causally breaking their contact when he caught Sasuke's hawk-like eyes trained on them.

For the first time, Saauke took a good look at the girl standing next to his brother. Haruno Sakura, some girl who had happened to be in the same class as him since middle school, of minor significance to him but had somehow caught his brother's attention…

"Sakura." Sasuke held her back as Itachi took over the boxes and waited until he was far enough to catch their conversation. "I need to ask you something." She stared expectantly at him. "Are you working as a hostess at a club now?"

"What? No," She answered on autopilot, quite used to denying her borderline illegal job by now. _Well, not anymore_. "Why did you ask that?"

His eyes narrowed and scammed her from top to bottom, his gaze making her fidgety. Something flicked across his eyes and he released his grip on her arm, seemingly satisfied with her answer.

"There's no way you would be hired anyway."

" _Huh_?"

* * *

 **This was based off a personal experience when I was 9 years old, except no one queued for my orange juice and I was the trigger of my own asthma... Well at least my team won the baton relay~**


End file.
